Black Hawk Down 2002 American-British war film

Black Hawk Down is a 2002 American-British war film directed by Ridley Scott. It is an adaptation of the 1999 book of the same name by Mark Bowden based on his series of articles published in The Philadelphia Inquirer. The 29-part series chronicled the events of a 1993 raid in Mogadishu by the U.S. military aimed at capturing faction leader Mohamed Farrah Aidid and the ensuing Battle of Mogadishu.

The film features a large ensemble cast, including Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana,Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, William Fichtner, Jason Isaacs, and Sam Shepard. It won two Oscars for Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing at the 74th Academy Awards. The movie was received positively by many American film critics, but was strongly criticized by a number of foreign groups and military officials.

In 1993, following the ousting of the central government and start of a civil war, a major United Nations military operation in Somalia is authorized with a peacekeeping mandate. After the bulk of the peacekeepers are withdrawn, the Mogadishu-based militia loyal to Mohamed Farrah Aidid have declared war on the remaining UN personnel. In response, U.S. Army Rangers, Delta Force counter-terrorist operators, and 160th SOAR aviators are deployed to Mogadishu to capture Aidid, who has proclaimed himself president of the country.

To cement his power and subdue the population in the south, Aidid and his militia seize Red Cross food shipments, while the UN forces are powerless to directly intervene. Outside Mogadishu, Rangers and Delta Force operators capture Osman Ali Atto, a faction leader selling arms to Aidid's militia. Shortly thereafter, a mission is planned to capture Omar Salad Elmiand Abdi Hassan Awale Qeybdiid, two of Aidid's top advisers.

The U.S. forces include experienced men as well as new recruits, including PFC Todd Blackburn and a desk clerk, SPC Grimes, going on his first mission. When his Lieutenant is removed from duty after having an epileptic seizure, SSGMatthew Eversmann is placed in command of Ranger Chalk Four, his first command.The misson launch code was Irene.

The operation begins and Delta Force operators capture Aidid's advisers inside the target building. The Rangers and helicopters escorting the ground-extraction convoy take heavy fire, while Eversmann's Chalk Four is dropped a block away by mistake. Blackburn is severely injured after falling from one of the Black Hawk helicopters, so three Humvees led by SSGJeff Struecker are detached from the convoy to return Blackburn to the UN-held Mogadishu Airport.

SGT Dominick Pilla is shot and killed just as Struecker's column departs, and shortly thereafter Black Hawk Super Six-One, piloted by CWO Clifton "Elvis" Wolcott, is shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) and crashes deep within the city. Both pilots are killed, the two crew chiefs are wounded, and one Delta Force sniper on board escapes in another helicopter.

The ground forces are rerouted to converge on the crash site. The Somali militia erects roadblocks, and LTC Danny McKnight's Humvee column is unable to reach the crash site, while sustaining heavy casualties. Meanwhile, two Ranger Chalks, including Eversmann's unit, reach Super-Six One's crash site and set up a defensive perimeter to await evacuation with the two wounded men and the fallen pilots. In the interim, Super Six-Four, piloted by CWO Michael Durant, is also shot down by an RPG and crashes several blocks away.

With CPT Mike Steele's Rangers pinned down and sustaining heavy casualties, no ground forces can reach Super Six-Four's crash site nor reinforce the Rangers defending Super Six-One. Two Delta Force snipers, SFC Randy Shughart and MSGGary Gordon are inserted by helicopter to Super Six-Four 's crash site, where they find Durant still alive. The site is eventually overrun, Gordon and Shughart are killed, and Durant is captured by Aidid's militia.

McKnight's column gives up the attempt to reach Six-One's crash site and returns to base with their prisoners and the casualties. The men prepare to go back to extract the Rangers and the fallen pilots, and MG Garrison sends LTC Joe Cribbs to ask for reinforcements from the 10th Mountain Division, including Malaysian and Pakistani armored units.

As night falls, Aidid's militia launch a sustained assault on the trapped Americans at Super Six-One's crash site. The militants are held off throughout the night by strafing runs and rocket attacks from AH-6J Little Bird helicopter gunships of the Nightstalkers, until the 10th Mountain Division's relief column is able to reach the Americans. The wounded and casualties are evacuated in the vehicles, but a handful of Rangers and Delta Force soldiers are forced to run from the crash site back to the stadium, in the UN Safe Zone.

The closing credits detail the results of the raid: 19 American soldiers were killed, with over 1,000 Somali militants and civilians dead. Durant was released after 11 days of captivity. Delta Force snipers Gordon and Shughart were the first soldiers to be awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously since the Vietnam War. Two weeks later, President Bill Clintonwithdrew the Delta Force and Rangers from Somalia. Major General William F. Garrison accepted full responsibility for the outcome of the raid. On August 1, 1996, Aidid was killed in a battle with a rival faction. General Garrison retired the following day.

Cast
75th RangersJosh Hartnett as SSG Matt Eversmann, the leader of Chalk 4
Ewan McGregor as SPC John "Grimesey" Grimes, a desk clerk (based on SPC John "Stebby" Stebbins)
Tom Sizemore as LTC Danny McKnight, the commander of the 3rd Ranger Battalion
Ewen Bremner as SPC Shawn Nelson, a squad gunner
Gabriel Casseus as SPC Mike Kurth
Hugh Dancy as SFC Kurt "Doc" Schmid, a medic of Chalk 4 (portrayed as a Ranger in the film; was Delta Force in real life)
Ioan Gruffudd as LT John Beales
Tom Guiry as SSG Ed Yurek
Charlie Hofheimer as CPL Jamie Smith
Danny Hoch as SGT Dominick Pilla
Jason Isaacs as CPT Mike Steele, commander, Bravo Company, 3rd Ranger Battalion
Brendan Sexton III as PVT Richard "Alphabet" Kowalewski
Brian Van Holt as SSG Jeff Struecker
Ian Virgo as PVT John Waddell
Tom Hardy as SPC Lance Twombly
Gregory Sporleder as SGT Scott Galentine, the ground radio and telephone communications operator of Chalk 4
Carmine Giovinazzo as SGT Mike Goodale
Chris Beetem as SGT Casey Joyce
Matthew Marsden as SPC Dale Sizemore
Orlando Bloom as PFC Todd Blackburn
Enrique Murciano as SGT Lorenzo Ruiz
Michael Roof as PVT John Maddox
Tac Fitzgerald as SGT Keni Thomas
Delta ForceSam Shepard as MG William F. Garrison, commander of Task Force Ranger
Eric Bana as SFC Norm "Hoot" Gibson (based on SFC John Macejunas, SFC Norm Hooten and SFC Matthew Rierson)
William Fichtner as SFC Jeff Sanderson (based on SFC Paul Howe)
Kim Coates as MSG Chris Wex (based on MSG Tim "Griz" Martin)
Steven Ford as LTC Joe Cribbs, the Joint Operations Commander who organizes and leads the international peacekeeping column (based on Lee Van Arsdale)
Željko Ivanek as LTC Gary Harrell, the commander of C Squadron
Johnny Strong as SFC Randy Shughart, a sniper flying on Black Hawk Super Six-Two
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as MSG Gary Gordon, a sniper flying on Black Hawk Super Six-Two
Richard Tyson as SSG Daniel Busch, a sniper flying on Black Hawk Super Six-One
160th SOAR – Night StalkersRon Eldard as CW4 Michael Durant, the pilot of Super Six-Four
Glenn Morshower as LTC Tom Matthews, the commander of 1st Battalion
Jeremy Piven as CWO Clifton Wolcott, the pilot of Super Six-One, the first Black Hawk down
Boyd Kestner as CW3 Mike Goffena, the pilot of Super Six-Two who inserts Gordon and Shughart
MiscellaneousGeorge Harris as Osman Atto
Razaaq Adoti as Yousuf Dahir Mo'alim, the Somali militia leader
Treva Etienne as Firimbi, Somali war chief and Michael Durant's captor
Ty Burrell as United States Air Force Pararescue Timothy A. Wilkinson.